Have you ever met a guy and instantly realized you’ve dated him before… even though you technically haven’t? Authors Maria Blanco and Jane Black have taken some of the guesswork out of– and put some humor into– the dating process by categorizing some common types of men in their book, “Dictionary of Men.” This is NOT a book that bashes men. It’s more like a guide that gives descriptions of different types of guys.

Gathering info from women out there in the dating trenches, “Dictionary of Men” includes over 300, short satirical dictionary-like definitions and tons of illustrations.

GalTime: How do you classify men?

Maria Blanco and Jane Black: Based on characteristics that women actually talk about like hometown, alma mater, relationship with their mother, car they drive, shoes, style of underwear, cocktail of choice, etc. You can tell a lot about a man’s personality and how your relationship will evolve based on simple categorizations. If a man owns a cat (Cat Owner), he’s most likely passive-aggressive and anal. We didn’t make these definitions up– we interviewed hundreds of women to get their take on what it was like to date every man we defined. This was the absolutely most fun book to write. We loved hearing other women’s stories.

GT: Do you have a “Favorite” type?

Maria: Frank the Fireman — every woman likes to play with fire at some point in her life. But my favorite read is High Maintenance Hayden.

Jane: My favorite TRUE dating story in the book is Douchebag Dave (pictured at left)– it just makes me laugh. Dave hails from San Francisco and he fits the description of a DB to a tee. I still laugh out loud when reading the story and looking at his illustration. Dan the Dave Matthews Groupie also makes me laugh because it conjures up such a funny person if you know a guy 40+, or any guy for that matter, who is still obsessed with the Dave Matthews Band … then you’ll know what I’m talking about.

GT: When you meet a guy now… do you immediately classify him in your head?
Maria: Absolutely. It’s addicting, you can’t get it out of your head. I do it the most when I’m driving in the car. For instance, when I see someone driving a Jeep I always think, this guy looks hot from far away– but won’t be so good up close. A Jeep always makes guys hotter than they really are! We also define the difference between a 3, 5 and 7-series BMW driver, and those defs always prove to be spot on too. For example, when I see the 7-series guy, I think yep, he’s probably cheating on his wife.

GT: What has been the male reaction to the book?

Jane: A man’s reaction to the book is the ultimate litmus test. If a man has an adverse reaction to the book, run…. he clearly sees himself and his buddies in the book. If he likes the book, or finds it funny, hold onto him tightly, he’s very well adjusted. Overall, most men find it funny and want to know if they’re in it– plus, they find our definitions to be pretty spot on.

GT: There’s a lot of humor in this book– do we need to laugh our way through dating… because otherwise we’d cry?

Maria: Laughter is the key to the dating process. Laughing through the process will make you a magnet for the right man. Plus, we think everyone is a little “self-helped” out. While eating, praying and loving might work for some, a good belly laugh is the universal remedy to cure the broken heart and regain mojo. After all, laughter is the best medicine and women enjoy sharing in each other’s funny experiences.

See the full story here: The Dictionary of Men: Guys Defined!

BOSTON, Feb. 7, 2012 — This Valentine’s Day, the newly released “Dictionary of Men” has added some additional suspects to its “Most Wanted” list with a warning out to daters that certain mates may do more harm than good.

If you already have a Valentine lined up, or if you are still on the prowl at bars, nightclubs, online or via blind dates, beware of five men who are wanted for various dating faux-pas. “Dictionary of Men” asks that you do not try to accept flowers or chocolates from any of these suspects. Diamonds should only be considered after recipients have thoroughly versed themselves with the definition and true story associated with the gift giver.

Be on the lookout for:
Douchebag Dave: Wanted for texting his date from her driveway to announce his arrival. Last seen driving a baby blue Audi TT convertible around the Marina district of San Francisco.

High-Maintenance Hayden: Wanted for monitoring his girlfriend’s calorie intake during dinner. Last seen at the Carlyle Hotel in NYC yelling at a waiter over a spilled glass of red wine.

Leo the Labrador Lover: Wanted for paying more attention to his chocolate lab than his girlfriend. Last seen hiking in Boulder. Never seen without his dog Shadow.

Marco the Mama’s Boy: Wanted for having his mama serve the divorce papers and still cook for him. Last seen sitting in his Mama’s lap getting spoon-fed Bolognese sauce.

Shane the Southern Baptist: Wanted for using God as an excuse to break up with his girlfriend. Last seen living the life of “do what feels good now, ask for forgiveness later,” somewhere in Little Rock.

Full sketches/illustrations of the suspects can be found here. If you recognize, know, or have recently dated any of these men, please report your tips to Twitter @DictionaryofMen #datedhim.

More detailed suspect profiles can be found in the “Dictionary of Men,” – a book that pinpoints 365 male types based on hometown, alma mater, profession, car, shoes, hygiene, social skills, favorite food, cocktail of choice, among other intimate characteristics. Women from around the globe contributed to the definitions and dating stories found in book.

ABOUT THE “DICTIONARY OF MEN” AUTHORS
Maria Blanco – a Bostonian, purse dog owner, self-manicurer, retired TV reporter, straight shooter, boy shorts wearer, youngest child – graduated from Smith College, studied at Oxford University and earned her master’s from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where she met her co-author. She’s a believer that love comes with no judgment and no conditions. Co-author Jane Black – a Jerseyite, highlight queen, botox experimenter, no drama mama, party thrower, push-up bra buyer, only child – graduated from Boston College and also received her master’s in journalism from Northwestern University.

ABOUT MASH MEDIA LLC
MASH Media is a women-owned publishing and multi-media company. Through investigative research and extensive interviews MASH MEDIA has created the Dictionary of Men™and Dictionary of Women™ series of books and product line for an entertaining analysis of the sexes in modern day.
Please visit http://dictionaryofmen.com for more information.
Link to sketches of men/suspects in release: http://www.dictionaryofmen.com/news/?p=82

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Douchebag Dave: WANTED for texting his date from her driveway to announce his arrival.

High-Maintenance Hayden: WANTED for monitoring his date's calorie intake.

Leo the Lab Lover: WANTED for paying more attention to his dog than his girlfriend.

Marco the Mama's Boy: WANTED for having his mama serve the divorce papers and still cooking for him.

Shane the Southern Baptist: WANTED for using God as an excuse to break up with his girlfriend.

Still trying to figure out what to do with all those gift cards you received as holiday gifts? You might spend one on a copy of The Dictionary of Men, a new book that attempts to define the male species based on where he was born, where he attended college and what he does for a living.

No, really. Authors Maria Blanco and Jane Black have chosen 365 different types of man—one for every day of the year—and by identifying his favorite car and what kind ofshoes he wears, have deconstructed the male mystique with short, alphabetized, tongue-in-cheek definitions of every imaginable kind of guy. As defined here, the men are at the mercy of their favorite cocktail, whether they shave every day, and how much hair they have on the backs of their hands.

A second section, titled True Romantic and Unfortunate Encounters (TRUE), offers illustrated, real-life dating habits of different types of men. Culled from what had to have been thrilling research, this section hints at what one might expect to experience over dinner with “High-Maintenance Hayden,” “Marco the Mama¶s Boy,” and “Dave the Douchebag.”

Available only at dictionaryofmen.com, the book will evidently do away with the need for psychotherapy caused by failed romances. “All women have acute intuition, but they just don¶t use it,” Blanco says. “Seeing other women¶s trials and tribulations in print is the cheapest and most valuable therapy session.”

Published by MASH Media, a women-owned publishing and multimedia firm, the dictionary is purse-sized and full of comic barbs made at the expense of the “stronger sex.” Men will, according to co-author Black, love the book as much as women, apparently because they are as clueless about what drives their male friends as are women.

Not to mention a whole lot of funny put-downs and stereotypical categorizations, which is possibly just what men deserve, after
centuries of asking their female counterparts to endure the same

Invite from Anastasia’s

Join us for our first ever
Holiday Girl’s Night Out!
Thursday, December 8th – 6 to 10pm
Stop by Anastasia’s and get your Holiday shopping done while you enjoy an evening of good friends, good treats and a good laugh!

We will be joined by Jane Black one of the authors of Dictionary of Men. Buy a signed copy of this hilarious book for yourself or as a gift (or both!)

Give an extra gift by bringing in non-perishable food items to add to our food drive to benefit The Hoboken Shelter. This local non-profit shelter will be serving over 20,000 meals during the month of December.

Dictionary of Men – a dating comedy and guide to men – is the first non-scientific study conducted on the male species. Fueled with wit, wisdom, and intuition, the Dictionary of Men is entertaining, edifying and eye-opening – a book sure to give you and your girlfriends a good laugh and to spur many funny dating memories.

About the Authors

Jane Black – a Jerseyite, highlight queen, botox experimenter, no drama mama, party thrower, push-up bra buyer, only child – graduated from Boston College and received her master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. Prior to starting publishing company MASH Media, Jane worked in Public Relations and as a speechwriter for corporate executives.

Maria Blanco – a Bostonian, purse dog owner, self manicurer, retired TV reporter, boy shorts wearer, youngest child – graduated from Smith College and also received her master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. Maria co-owns MASH Media with Jane.

Anastasia’s Accessories
88 Garden Street (between 1st and Newark)
Hoboken – USA
201.792.7330

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